Forging die



June 17, 1941.

D. S. BELL ET AL FORGING DIE Filed Aug. 26, 1938 Figi.

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Davitt S. Bell, Pittsburgh, andByron W. Dunham, Oakmont, Pa., assignors to Edgewater Steel Company, Oakmont, Pa., a corporation of Penn- Sylvania Application August 26, 1938, Serial No. 226,928

s Claims. (ol. vs -6o) 'Ihis invention relates to a die for use on a forging press and its purpose is to provide a die particularly useful in the preliminary shaping of blooms for further press` forging operations.

Inthe preparation of metal blooms. for press forging operations, one of the preliminary steps is to subject the bloom to endwise pressure to increase its cross section and reduce its height. The bloom is subjected to pressure between a iixed die and a movable die. One of the dies comprises a ring member and the metal is compressed until the upper end of the bloom has been expanded to ll or substantially ll this ring member. Due to the fact that the bloom may be unevenly heated or that it may be set between the dies in an off-center position, or for some other reason, it does not properly fill out the ring member. According to the present invention there is provided 'a forging press having a die member in which the ring or other shaping member is loosely mounted for lateral movement and which is normally held in a central position. If the bloom or billet being operated upon is set in an olf-center position or is unequally heated, the metal, upon expanding into this die member, will engage one side of the die before it engages the other, whereupon the die member may slide on the support on which it is carried in the direction of this off-center or lateral pressure until the bloom or billet has been expanded to fill this die member or ring. This automatically .compensates for the off-center position of the billet or bloom or for theunequal ow of metal due to the uneven heating of the billet or bloom. The invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates one embodiment of our invention and in which Figure 1 represents a transverse section through a die member'embodying our invention, showing its mounting on the head of the press;

Figure 2 is a partial horizontal section in substantially the plane of line II-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation on a somewhat larger scale of a portion of the assembly shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a more or less schematic View showing a portion of the press assembly insofar as it involves' the present invention and showing a *billet or bloom in position between a xed anvil or die member and the movable head with the die of the present invention applied thereto.

Referring to the drawing, 2 designates a rigidly supported die or anvil member of a press and 3 is a head which is movable up and down with respect to the anvil member 2. The press maybeof'the typek shown in our copending' ape plication Serial No. 213,462, filed June 13', 1938, in which the construction 'of a press adapted .to perform the operations ofthe present invention is more fully disclosed. The reciprocable head 3 of the press terminates in an enlarged portion 4 having a smooth facevor end 5. The portion A is shown as being provided with an annular groove 6. Suspended from the portion 4 ofthe head member is an annular collar or flange 1. .This flange or collar is preferably removably carried on the. head of the press being attached thereto in any suitable way. For attaching the collar to the head of the press we have shown locking pins 'which-y project throughthe collar. The inner ends of these pins are received in the annular recess 6. Each pin is releasably retained in the position shown in Fig. 1 by means of a key 9 which projects radially from the pin and which is received in a pocket I0 inthe collar. Each pocket is enclosed by a cover plate I I having a key slot I2 therein. By rotating the pin 180 from the position shown in Fig. 1, the key l) may be brought into register with the key slot I2 and the pin withdrawntopermit the collar to be detached from the head of the press.

Carried by the collar 'I are a plurality of radial pins I3 which pins project through thecollar into the space I Il enclosed by the collar under the head of the press. These pins I3 are distributed at regular intervals around the collar and are resiliently urged inwardly. For urging the pins inwardly the pins I3 are provided with abutments I5. Compression springs I6 conned in housing I'I press against the abutments I5 to project the pins radially inwardly. The abutments I5 also.limit the inward movement ofthe pins.

The inner ends of the pins I3 project undera ange I3 of a ring shaped die member I9 having a die cavity 20 therein, the die member I9 having a flat inner or upper face to slide against the end face 5 of the member 3. The pins I3 thus serve to hold the die member I9 in place, and they also, through exerting pressure from all directionsI serve to hold the ring I9 in a normal centered position.

In the operation of the die, a bloom or billet X is placed on the bottom die or anvil 2. As the head 3 is lowered, it comes in contact with the top of the billet X and exerts a pressure upon it. The location of Athe center line of the billet X, together With the condition of its heating, determines the amount of metal that will flow in all directions, caused by the further movemovement of the head 3.

ment of the head 3. 'Ihe purpose of this floating die is to enable its axis to shift to correspond with the axis of the billet, whose diameter is being enlarged by the compression due to the If the billet is uniformly heated and is centrally positioned under the die I9, it will expand uniformly in all directions. lf the billet is not accurately centered, or if it is not uniformly heated, or if for some other reason it tends to expand unevenly, the expanding metal will contact the inner wall of the die member I9 at one side of the center before it contacts the Wall of the die at the other side. As the pressure is continued, the metal pressing against the Wall with which it contacts causes 'the die member to move under this pressure, the die sliding on the face 5 of the bed of the press against the pressure exerted by the pin or pins most nearly in line with the direction in which it is moving. This causes the die I9 to automatically' center itself with respect to thebillet or with respect to the manner in. which the billet is expanding so that the metal mayV beexpanded to fill out the die to the `desired 'extent upon a predetermined shortening of its length. The springs IS are made sufficiently stiff so that the die I9 will move .only as it is required toy under the force of the expanding metal.

Although we have specifically illustrated and described a particular construction for holding and supporting the movable die member, it will be understood that this is merely by way of illustration and that thedie member and the various parts may be otherwise shaped and formed within the contemplation of our invention and under the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

l. The combination with a press having upper and lower press members one of which is movable toward and away from the other, of-.a holder on one of the press members, a die in the holder having an axial opening therethrough and movable in a horizontal plane within the holder in any direction, a metal engaging and pressing member over the face of which said die lis slidable and means for yieldably resisting such movement of the die.

2. A forging die comprising a press member having a Work engaging end face, a die in the form of an annulus on the end face of the press member a flange member projecting beyond the end face of the press member and of a dimension such -that the ydie may move about within the flange in a plane parallel with the end face of the press member, and means on the flange for resiliently holding the die in a centered-position.

3. A forging die comprising a press member having an end face, a die which has a continuous opening therethrough from one face to the other,

a flange member projecting beyond the end face of the press member and of a dimension such that the die may move about within the flange in a plane parallel with the end face of the press member, and means on the flange for simultaneously holding the die against the end face of the press member and yieldably resistingmovement of the die across the face of the press member.

e. A press forging apparatus comprising a press head having an'end face adapted to engage and compress the metal being worked, a collar on the press head projecting beyond the end face, an open die member suported against the end face of the head within the collar and through which said end face contacts the metal, the die member being of a diameter smaller than the internal diameter of the collar whereby the die member may move about within the collar across the end face of the head, and a plurality of pins around the collar engaging the die member, and springs for urging the pins inwardly against .the die member to resiliently resist movement ofV the die member across the end face of the head.

5..'A forging die comprising a die member having a work-engaging face, a floating ring for surrounding and laterally engaging those portions of the work adjacent to such face; and means for holding the ring loosely in engagement with the die member and free to slide over said face yunder pressure exerted by the work on the ring.

6. A'forging die comprising a die member having a work-engaging face, a floating ring for surrounding and laterally engaging those portions of the work adjacent to such face, means for holding the ring loosely in engagement with the die member and free to slide over said face under pressure exerted by the work on the ring, and yieldable means for urging the ring to its original position after disengagement from the work.V

'7. A forging dieV comprising a die member having a work-engaging face, a floating ring foreurrounding and laterally engaging those portions of the work adjacent to such face, and means for holding the ring loosely in Vengagement with the die member and free to slide over said face `under pressure exerted by the work on the ring, the ring having an inclined inner work-engaging face.

8. A forging die comprising a die member having a work-engaging face, a floating ring for surrounding land laterally engaging those portions of the work adjacent to such face, and means for holding the ring loosely in engagement with the die member and free to slide over said face under pressure exertedby the work on the ring, the inner face of the ring Vtapering inwardly toward the Work-engaging face of the die member.

DAVI'I'I S. BEIL. BYRON W. DUNHAM. 

